The focus of this series, Walking with Jesus, is to look at the life of Jesus as presented in the Gospels. We're slowly and simply examining the life of the Lord, from His first movements to His last and it will be as though we were walking alongside Him. We are looking at how Jesus changed the heart values of those individuals who have committed to follow Him and how that applies to us today.

Pastor Don started us off with Jesus INCARNATED on Earth.
Ryan shared with us how Jesus PREPARED for Ministry.
Nick covered how Jesus was COMMISSIONED by the Father.
Jeff looked at how Jesus was TEMPTED in the Wilderness.
Aaron presented about how Jesus was RECOGNIZED as the Lamb of God.
Gary explained how Jesus CALLED His First Disciples.
Pastor Joel brought a unique perspective to how Jesus TURNED water into wine but also turned the disciples faith and their idea of ministry.
Nick shared a simple verse that conveys how Jesus JOURNEYED to Capernaum.
Jeff looked at how Jesus CLEANSED the Temple and the difference between conviction and preference.
Pastor Joel presented how Jesus was APPROACHED by Nicodemus.
Pastor Don showed how Jesus MINISTERED to the Samaritan Woman.
Pastor Don explained how Jesus HEALED the Nobleman's Son.
This week Pastor Don finishes the series with Jesus REJECTED in Nazareth.

This sermon series is a chronological study of the first 30 years of Jesus' life and first 1 1/2 years of His ministry.
The Lord lived His life intentionally, instilling His purpose, passion, and priorities in the lives of those who were committed to following Him.
If they were to be spiritual change agents and societal difference makers, then they had to think, feel, and live differently. They, and we, must become like Him!
"Follow Me"... In Jewish culture, this meant way more than a specific direction. It implied willingness to leave a specific place and lifestyle, to assimilate the lifestyle of the one you were now aligning your life with. New Testament writers often elaborated upon this truth.
1 John 2:6
Philippians 2:5 [NCV]

Last week we left off with Jesus in Cana. He had performed a miracle here at the beginning of His ministry and then performed a second while showing great compassion. This was a heart value that Jesus was trying to instill in the lives of His followers.
At this point, the Lord has spent nearly 18 months in His...
- home province of Galilee
- the Jordan River Valley
- the province of Judea
- the city of Jerusalem
- and the province of Samaria
He now finds Himself drifting home to Nazareth.

This morning, we'll look at the final heart value that needs to change in our lives if we are to grow in our Christlikeness and excel as disciples who make disciples.

1. The POPULARITY of Jesus
Luke 4:14-15

We see in these passages that the popularity of Jesus has ramped up. In verse 14 the phrase "news about Him spread" implies a low rumble, like a rumor. In verse 15 there is a change as more people listened to Him and conveys the idea of a reverberating roar.

2. The PRACTICE of Jesus
Luke 4:16

In verse 16 we see that Jesus attended synagogue in His hometown. This was a regular practice for Him as He centered His life on God's Word. If this was a priority for Jesus, it should be for us as well!

3. The PREACHING of Jesus
Luke 4:17-27

In verses 17 and 18 Jesus stands to read in the Synagogue. He reads from Isaiah 61:1-2 which prophesied the mission of the coming Messiah.
Four key thoughts that were proclaimed and to whom:
- good news to the poor
- freedom for the prisoners
- recovery of sight for the blind
- set the oppressed free
Then we see in verses 19-21 that the Lord summed it all up with a grand announcement.
Verse 22 tells us that at first people reacted well but in verse 23 Jesus understood how fickle people can be, and how fleeting popularity is.
In verses 24-27 Jesus references two Old Testament prophets who were not welcomed by the Jewish people when they preached to them. God sent these prophets away from Israel and used them to reach Gentiles.

4. The PREDICAMENT of Jesus
Luke 4:28-29

Predicament: "a difficult and unpleasant situation"
In these verses we see that the people went ballistic. They forsook any loyalties and attempted to kill Jesus.

5. The PURPOSE of Jesus
Luke 4:30-31

This is an incredible end to the story. We don't know exactly what was said or how things went down. What we do know is that Jesus didn't rely upon the praise of men. He withstood the hostility of the crowd to continue toward the purpose for which God sent Him.

Heart Value - Our reliance must be upon the Person of God and not the praise of men.

This week:

Read and pray over Luke 4:14-31 until you can answer three questions:
a) What did God say? (The meaning of the passage in your own words)
b) What is God saying to you? (Specifically, what is God telling you to do?)
c) What will you say about this passage to someone? (Think of one person)